By David ReayThursday 18 Aug 2016LifeWords DevotionalsFaithReading Time: 0 minutes
Transcript:
Read Matthew 7:24-27
24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. 26 But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. 27 When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.” (NLT)
Many years ago, I lived in a house whose foundations were embedded in an old rubbish tip. So the house, quite attractive on the outside, was in fact moving from time to time. Cracks appeared in walls, and doors and windows would not open or shut. Our own lives might look good enough on the outside but without sound foundations they can so easily fall apart.
There are two things to note about these words of Jesus. One is that the firm foundation is not adherence to certain doctrines or having great knowledge of the Bible or being a faithful church attender. Jesus says that we are on shaky ground unless we are genuinely trying to live out his teaching. Mere belief is not enough. Being a Christian is not simply about ticking certain boxes of beliefs: it is about an intentional lifestyle.
The other thing to note is that the test of our foundations comes when trouble comes. Most of us can do OK when times are favourable. It is when things turn against us that shows where our fundamental source of security may be.
Ticking the doctrinal boxes won’t keep our heads above water then. This is so because Jesus is much more than an article of belief; He is a life-shaper and life-changer. A firm foundation.
Blessings
David Reay